What We Test For
- Bloodwork — organ function, blood cell counts, and other markers that flag problems before symptoms show up
- Urinalysis — often the first thing we check for kidney issues, urinary infections, or diabetes
- Fecal testing — intestinal parasites, which are more common than most pet owners assume, especially in puppies and kittens
- Heartworm and tick-borne disease testing — a standard part of annual wellness visits in South Florida, where mosquitoes and ticks are a year-round concern
- Allergy and skin testing — for pets with recurring itching, hot spots, or ear infections that keep coming back
- Cardiac workups — for pets with a new murmur, cough, or other signs worth a closer look
If your pet needs advanced imaging like an ultrasound or MRI, or a specialized test outside what we run in-house, we’ll refer you to a facility equipped for it and stay involved in what happens next.
Why It’s Worth Doing Before Something’s Obviously Wrong
Bloodwork and urinalysis in particular are useful precisely because they catch things before your pet acts sick — kidney and liver values, for example, can shift well before a pet loses their appetite or seems off. That’s part of why we suggest baseline testing at wellness visits even for pets who seem completely fine, especially once they’re getting older. It gives us something to compare against later, which matters more than a single result on its own.